Secretlab Omega review
Both your butt and your wallet will thank you.
by Terrence MaiI know the Secretlab Omega is not a mattress, but bear with me. When it comes to mattresses, most people are willing to spend a little bit more for a quality product. That's because they know they'll be spending a sizeable portion of the 24-hour day laying in it. If the recent influx of gaming chair manufacturers is any indication, gamers have that same mentality when it comes to outfitting their PC setup with a chair.
You may not allocate as much of your rig budget as you would on a nice graphics card, but the best chairs for gaming can easily outlive your components and last a decade or more. They've evolved quite a bit over the years since DXRacer first showed up in the scene. Secretlab is not the first manufacturer in the space, nor will they be the last. But the Secretlab Omega is one of the best experiences we've had with a gaming chair.
Secretlab's not so secret formula for success involves cutting out the third party. The company sells directly to customers rather than dealing with retailers and distributors. This allows it to pass their savings on and offer a premium product at a very reasonable price. It also removes at least one extra shipping trip from the equation, reducing the likelihood of damaged goods.
This business model seems to work quite well, as the Omega looks and feels on par with gaming chairs we've tested that are much more expensive. The Secretlab Omega features highly customizable armrests, multi-functional tilt mechanisms and some of the densest foam we've felt in a gaming chair. According to the company, each piece of foam is put through a rigid cold curing process and individually molded, not cut.
The result is an extremely tough and sturdy piece of foam that is built to last. We've spent several months in the Secretlab Omega now and the seat cushion feels just like it did when it was new. The one drawback with this is that the seat sacrifices some of its softness to provide support for heavy usage over the years.
We thought the chair was really firm at first, but it became much more comfortable after longer periods of gaming. The Omega also includes the best free head and lumbar pillows we've received from a gaming chair company. They are made of velour memory foam and are comfortable enough to sleep on. Our only complaint with this is that they do not secure themselves very well to the chair and thus offer little room for adjustments.
Vertagear’s SL5000 was previously our favorite gaming chair. The discreet logos, premium build quality and noticeable craftsmanship were things we really took note of. Upon closer inspection of Secretlab's product line, it's clear other manufacturers were paying attention too. The Omega is one of the most well made chairs we’ve tested. From the casters to the base, lift mechanism, armrests and seat back, Secretlab clearly used some of the best materials available.
The Omega features a multi-functional tilt mechanism that allows you to rock and adjust seating positions to promote blood flow and oxygen to the brain. It reclines up to 165 degrees and has armrests that can adjust themselves in just about any way imaginable. The end result is a highly comfortable gaming chair we have a hard time wanting to get out of.
The Omega comes in a variety of accent colors and is currently priced at a competitive $359. It definitely isn't the cheapest gaming chair around, but its quality rivals that of chairs we've tested that cost well over $400. If you’re looking to treat your butt with a chair that functions just as amazingly as it looks, the Secretlab Omega is worth every penny.
The Verdict
Secretlab Omega 2018
The Secretlab Omega has everything we've come to expect from a premium gaming chair, minus the price tag.